A NEW Dublin newspaper is expected to be on the streets within two weeks. The Evening News will sell for around 60p and will be the first competition the Evening Herald which now sells for 65p, has faced since the Evening Press ceased publication a year ago.
The launch of the paper will almost coincide with the first anniversary of the collapse of Irish Press Newspapers on May 24th, 1995.
The Evening News will be edited by Mr Dick O'Riordan, the former editor of the Evening Press. It will be a "bright" tabloid, with over 48 pages and a staff of 60.
Yesterday Mr O'Riordan said that the advertising was looking good and a launch marketing campaign, using all media, was being planned.
He would not say how much the launch would cost, only that it will be a "substantial" amount.
Mr O'Riordan was the editor of the Leader, the short lived Dublin weekly which ceased publication when it was decided to produce the daily Evening News.
Mr O'Riordan would not say how much is invested in the new paper. The main investor is the Midland Tribune newspaper, which is also printing the Evening News.
He planned to have a first edition on the streets of Dublin every day by noon. There would also be later editions.
Advertising media sources have been sceptical about the success of the Evening News because its deadlines might mean it will miss important, late breaking news.
However, Mr O'Riordan said the newspaper had invested in fast transmission systems to transmit copy from the Donnybrook offices to the printing plant of the Midland Tribune.
Since the demise of the Evening, Press, Independent Newspapers Evening Herald has had a monopoly. It increased its sales by nearly 31,000 to 121,216. When it closed, the Evening Press had a circulation of 52,590.
A £33 million development plan for St Vincent's Hospital at Elm Park in Dublin has been announced by the Minister for Health.
Mr Noonan said he expected work, which includes the building of new departments and refurbishment of existing ones, to start by the end of next year.
Among the departments to benefit will be accident and emergency, day care, outpatients and intensive care.
Part of the money will be used this year to set up a new breast clinic.
More clinics than at present will be held each week, said the Minister, adding that waiting times had been a source of discontent.
The development will make St Vincent's "one of the most advanced medical centres nationally and at an international level," said Professor Noel Whelan, chairman of the hospital's board of management.
St Vincents is run by the Sisters of Charity. It has 26,000 admissions per year, 80,000 out patient attendances and over 45,000 accident and emergency attendances.